


Bruises

by Baroness_Blixen



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort-ish, Some UST, Stuck in Traffic, mention of melissa scully, mulder worries a lot, set in late season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 15:26:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19726429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baroness_Blixen/pseuds/Baroness_Blixen
Summary: Not everything is as it seems. A conversation between Mulder and Scully.





	Bruises

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: “Where did all those bruises come from?”

The car feels too small for them here in the late summer heat, stuck in traffic, never moving more than a few inches. Mulder is full of nervous energy, drumming his fingers against the wheel, sighing, squirming.

In short, he’s driving her insane. Without, she realizes with a sense of irony, even driving the car.

“Mulder,” she says. His name falls from her lips and she hopes it’s enough to make him stay still for a second. For her sake and his.

“I can’t go any faster,” he replies absent-mindedly, his fingers still drumming without rhythm.

“That’s not what I was - are you all right, Mulder?”

“Yeah,” he answers too quickly. “Why wouldn’t I be? Are- are you? Are you all right, Scully?” This is the first time he’s glancing over at her. His eyes, like everything else about him, are restless. They land on her wrists, linger for a second too long to be an accident.

“Are you?” he repeats.

“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?” Again, his eyes go to her wrists and Scully swallows. She’s tried to hide it from him. The bruises. She wanted to spare him the worry; wanted to spare herself his pity, too. They’ve been through enough this year.

“I don’t know,” Mulder mumbles, moving the car forward. “I was just uhm… I can’t keep quiet about it any longer, Scully. Where did all those bruises come from?”

She rubs her wrists. “I was hoping you wouldn’t see them.”

“Are there more? Are there- who hurt you, Scully? Why didn’t you tell me?” Pain flickers in his eyes. Guilt, too. He thinks this is his fault. Once again he wasn’t able to protect her. This is why she didn’t want him to know.

“Because it doesn’t matter. They’re not what you think.” Truth is she doesn’t know what he thinks but she can guess. She can guess very well.

“What are they, Scully? Please- please tell me?” He doesn’t look at her, pretends to pay attention to the road. Scully takes his hand off the wheel and holds it in hers. She’s surprised how cool his skin feels against hers.

“Melissa and I- well, Missy had this idea to take this self-defense class and she made me go with her. She thought after… after Duane Barry it might be a good idea. I told her I don’t need it,” she chuckles, remembering their conversation. Melissa wouldn’t accept no for an answer. “I got a bit carried away.”

“This - these bruises - are from a self-defense class?” Mulder’s eyes are on her again, looking her up and down. She nods and brings his hand to her wrist where a deep blue, almost purple, bruise taints her skin.

“It doesn’t hurt,” she assures him. His finger trails the outline of it, as soft as a feather. She gasps and he looks at her, mouth open.

“I swear it doesn’t hurt,” she whispers.

His thumb strokes her wrist and she wonders if he can feel her pulse, feel it quickening.

“Scully, I-”

Behind them, someone honks their horn and Mulder quickly puts both hands back on the wheel and his foot on the gas. The moment is gone but Scully feels Mulder’s uneasiness dissipate. She smiles.


End file.
